The operator O2 Czech Republic is bringing back the iconic advert from the modern era of Czech advertising,“More from Life”. Created for Eurotel in the late 1990s, it was filmed by Ron Fricke, director and cinematographer of the documentary *Baraka*, with music composed by Ondřej Soukup; the campaign was produced by the Leo Burnett agency under the leadership of Josef Havelka, with creatives Jiří Pleskot, Martin Pasecký and others. The advert was built around aerial shots of the Czech countryside, distinctive music featuring a flute motif, and snippets of telephone conversations, which at the time symbolised the newly available mobile communication. The production costs for the advert soared to 20 million crowns at the time, a considerable sum.
It is precisely this advert that O2, the successor to Eurotel, has now decided to revive using AI to mark its twentieth anniversary. The company sees artificial intelligence as an opportunity to incorporate elements into the advert that would have been more difficult to film given budget, time and production constraints. “The time saving is around 50%, the financial saving 30%; the difference is astronomical,” said the creators of the new advert after their experience with its production.
A remake not just thanks to AI
However, the remake was not created solely using artificial intelligence. Whilst the creators reconstructed the original advert frame by frame using AI to achieve the most faithful representation possible, they also preserved the actors’ real performances. The human characters were filmed traditionally in a studio to maintain the authenticity of their emotions. Filming technology has also undergone a transformation. The original helicopter shots were replaced by FPV drone simulations, which enabled the addition of new visual effects.
A newly formed hybrid production team combining creatives, filmmakers and AI specialists contributed to the creation of the new advert. The project was spearheaded by the Free Andy agency, with Ondřej Křišťan, creator of the current O2 adverts, leading the team. The team also included AI idea maker Martin Pasecký, director Max Turek and photographer Matúš Thót. Artificial intelligence also found its way into the music. Its composer, Ondřej Soukup, who was once again invited to work on the music, prepared a modernised version of the track that retains the original motif but expands the arrangement and adds a contemporary sound. “The aim wasn’t to ‘try out AI’, but to create a top-classadvertthat wouldn’t have been possible without AI, or would have taken many times longer,” explained Dagmar Mikšíková, director of the creative agency Free Andy.
The original Eurotel advert from 1998; Source: O2
New advert from 2026; Source: O2
The new advert also reflects the transformation of telecommunications itself. Whilst the original advert focused on telephone calls, today’s version showcases the broader possibilities of digital connectivity – from data services and video calls to connecting additional devices via the O2 Connect service. The campaign thus combines nostalgia with a contemporary message about network quality, which O2 also backs up with the Ookla Speedtest Awards for the best mobile network and the fastest 5G in the Czech Republic for the second half of 2025. The new version of the advert also features the AI assistant Eva.
The campaign“The best network in the Czech Republic. We’ve been connecting you for twenty years. O2.”launches on 1 April and will run for four months. People will see it on television (60-, 30- and 15-second spots), online, in print, on outdoor billboards, on social media and in O2 stores. The campaign is complemented by messages about the OOKLA Speedtest award and the O2 Connect feature, which allows customers to connect additional devices to their mobile data plan free of charge. Extra targeted creative content is also being prepared for local outdoor advertising and special YouTube formats linked to the FIFA World Cup.
The creators of the newly produced advert “More from Life”
The revamped advert was presented by David Daneš, O2’s Marketing Director; composer Ondřej Soukup; PPF’s Head of Marketing, Jakub Petřina; advertising creator Ondřej Křišťan; and Andy Dagmar Mikšíková, Director of the Free agency. The photographs also show images of the locations used for the advert and visuals for outdoor advertising. Source: O2
AI in advertising: possibilities and limitations
“We approached the original advert with respect, treating it as part of the brand’s heritage. Research showed us that almost 30% of people in the 36–44 age group still remember it even after so many years. More than four-fifths of those surveyed consider the AI remake a good idea. This confirmed to us that we were heading in the right direction,” said David Daneš, Marketing Director at O2.
Production using artificial intelligence still has its limits. “Audience tests during the campaign’s development showed us, however, that what matters most to the viewer is the story and the emotions,” he added. “Thanks to pre-testing, we were able to fine-tune some shots better during the preparation phase. We will continue to improve the advert throughout the campaign based on feedback from viewers,” added Daneš.
“Artificial intelligence also influences music – it provides inspiration, can replace an entire orchestra or perfectly fine-tune an arrangement. But you still have to know how to compose and really draw on music, not algorithms,” says Ondřej Soukup. “AI is a great tool for composers, but without the human ear, it remains just an empty melody without a soul,” he adds.
“AI alone does not make a successful advert. It is a production tool, just like other technologies before it. What matters is whether the result works for the brand – that is, whether it evokes a positive emotional response, builds distinctiveness and creates a memorable impression. In the case of the O2 advert, it turned out that this works very well, which is why it scored above the average for Czech advertising in testing,” explained Vojtěch Prokeš, head of research at Behavio.
How the O2‘More from Life’ advert was made; Source: O2
How the O2 ‘More from Life’ advert was made; Source: O2
Credits
- Campaign implementation including AI production: Free Andy AI Production - Ondřej Křišťan / Maxmilián Turek / Matúš Tóth Dagmar Mikšíková – team lead, Žofie Drugdová - campaign implementation
- Film production of the campaign: Boogie Film
- Director: Maxmilián Turek
- Animation and visual post-production: Alien studio
- Sound production: Kabelovna Studios
Source: mediaguru.cz